I am the president and CEO of Aveksa, a leading provider of business-driven Identity and Access Management software solutions. I'm an accomplished, results-driven software executive with over 20 years of experience in global sales operations, marketing, business development, consulting, product management and engineering. Prior to joining Aveksa, I held senior management positions at BMC Software, BladeLogic, RishiSoft, and Cabletron. I've been awarded six patents in the U.S. and internationally for my work in IT management software systems. I hold a BSEE from IIT India, an MSCE from the University of Massachusetts, and an MBA in Marketing and Finance from Boston University School of Management.

What's In A Name? 5 Tips To Get It Right

Whether I’m leading quarterly all-hands presentations at Aveksa or offering expertise in my Forbes column, I often translate the themes of big screen cinema into lessons in workplace productivity. By relating the leadership lessons of 12 O’clock High as opposed to mumbling through another humdrum deck, both myself and my employees gain a perspective lost amongst benign PowerPoint templates. So, it should come as no surprise to those familiar with my columns that I make an effort to stay afloat of the latest Hollywood fodder.

Last week, 20th Century FoxFox, the studio behind the highest grossing film of all-time, Avatar, announced they would not be changing their name to 21st Century Fox. In a statement issued to Deadline, an executive from the studio explained that, “it’s an 80-year-old brand that stands for something and means something to people.” Even though outdated by some 13 years, 20th Century Fox stands firm. And can you blame them? After nearly a century of establishing itself amongst the stalwarts of film production, 20th Century Fox would not gain much from a calendrical-appropriate name change.

The studios’ recognition of the importance of a name, and more so the perceived identity associated with it, reminded me of the naming exercises I have experienced in my career. No, I’m not Shakespeare waxing philosophic about a “rose by any other name,” but as a CEO, I empathize with 20th Century Fox.

For those without the luxury of four scores of cinematic history, I offer my advice on christening a startup.

Skip the Place Holder

Startups often utilize the convenience of a place holder name during their early days. It’s quick, it doesn’t require much thought, and it frees time for founders to focus on more pressing issues. But this comes at the risk of building an identity behind a temporary façade. When the time comes to establish a more permanent name, you may be too well known behind your faux moniker. Changing to something more appropriate—and ultimately more effective—may be more difficult than you’d imagine. Take the time to enlist marketing’s help early on; it’ll save headaches in the future.

Descriptive, Derivative or Made Up

Names typically stem from one of three places. Either they are blatantly descriptive (my former company, BladeLogic), they are derived from dictionary words both native and foreign that hint at a philosophy (for example, Aveksa is Sanskrit for insight), or they are a Frankensteined portmanteau of words related to the startups’ mission (Riverity—meaning river of truth (verity) was once a considered name for a one of my previous companies). Any guesses what 20th Century Fox would be considered?

A caution on descriptive names: Despite BladeLogics’ transition from humble beginnings to a very successful IPO and eventual acquisition for almost $1 billion, its name was a source of some misperception. Originally intended to highlight the “logic” behind the management of servers, including the fast-growing blade server market, the name appeared ideally suited to characterize the startup. But as the market evolved and blade servers no longer appeared poised to monopolize the server product environment, the name became somewhat of a crutch. On the name alone, people thought our software managed only blade servers, and not virtual or other types of physical servers. It took a successful IPO to shed this perception.

A for Effort

Let me preface this. If you have the absolutely, undoubtedly, can’t miss, perfect name that begins with a “Z” go for it. But for everyone else deciding between a few potential candidates, consider alphabetical order. A name that scores alphabetically higher appears first in virtually any directory and listing; making your startup instantly—and effortlessly—more recognizable.

Be the Only One

If you’ve settled on your name, make sure that website domains, Twitter accounts, FacebookFacebook pages and any other social media outlets are available. Yes, you can always purchase from domain squatters, but in this digital age, it’s a whole ‘lot easier to avoid it.

Pardon My French

After considering the above, you’ve decided on Merde, Inc. Not only does it perfectly encapsulate your startup’s purpose—in this case I’d assume a sea-based research lab—but it’s also a clever portmanteau of your founders’ last names. The only problem? The French word Merde translates to a not so nice word in English. I’ll leave it up to you to discover that translation. Suffice to say that your company will have some branding issues in French-speaking areas of the world.

So what’s in a name? Ask the executives at 20th Century Fox, they’re certainly not behind the times.

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